As part of the national commemoration of the birth of the modern railway 200 years ago, the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre’s Moving the Mail Day on September 14th 2025 will focus on how the requirements of Royal Mail influenced the development of the railways.
The theme for the day is “Celebrating 194 years of Mail by Rail” starting with mail being carried on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in November 1830 and finishing with the withdrawal of the Class 325 EMUs in September 2024.
There will be two illustrated talks, one about carriage of mail on the railways and the other about the role of the exchange apparatus. Exhibition panels in the Travelling Post Office (TPO) Stowage Van will tell the story of Mail by Rail and there will be an opportunity to visit the TPO Sorting Carriage, which came out of service in 2004. The day will also provide an opportunity for a reunion of former TPO staff.
One aspect of this historical collaboration between the railways and Royal Mail will be highlighted by the unveiling of newly installed Exchange Apparatus.